Italian PM Paolo Gentiloni says India important for maintaining stability in Asia, can contribute to fight against Islamic State

New Delhi: India can contribute to the international coalition against the Islamic State in its fight against terrorism, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Monday.

India is important for maintaining stability “in this region” that faces the menace of terrorism and nuclear threats from North Korea, Gentiloni said at event organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

India is not part of the international coalition against the Islamic State. But it has made an “extraordinary” contribution to the fight against terrorism, he said. India is important to “promote and maintain stability in this region in which European interests are directly involved”, he said.

He said India and Italy can work together for the UN commission on terrorism and in Afghanistan.

In his lecture on “Italy, the EU and India: A strong partnership in a time of global challenges”, Gentiloni stressed the need for a closer cooperation between the two countries and a common migration policy for Europe.

Responding to a question, the Italian prime minister said his country’s trade cooperation with China is “open and frank” and it is positive as far as India is concerned.

He said Italy and India are together in opposing increasing trade protectionism as it is not in the interests of the two countries and the global trade.

On Brexit, he said the process of Britain leaving the European Union has started.